Chapter 90
(Kyle
Calendar Year 506: Age 13)
Joint Elite Tournament ② - The Inspectors
Translator : PolterGlast
Two days before the
Five-Territory Joint Tournament, my main event had already begun.
For tournament-related
matters, I had assigned Miseri as the person in charge of audience reception
and management, Claire for tournament operations, and Christoph and Kira from
the mercenary corps for security.
My brother and I,
along with Commander Weiss, were touring various locations with Margrave Hastburg,
the heads of each noble house, and the Royal Capital Knights' Commander's
party. They seemed particularly interested in the checkpoint on the demon realm
side that repelled Marquis Bradley's forces, requesting to inspect it first.
Honestly, I didn't particularly want to show it to anyone except the
Margrave...
"I see, so you
annihilate the enemies emerging from the narrow pass with a volley of arrows
from the checkpoint wall! They have nowhere to escape..."
"I see! With this
fixture, even an inexperienced archer can accurately shoot arrows at a
designated target. Is this mechanism possible precisely because it's a
crossbow?"
"Remarkable! From
this observation deck, you can clearly see the invading enemy forces from the
blind spot on the narrow pass side!"
"So, the bridge
is dropped, and they're annihilated by a volley of crossbows when isolated in
the narrow pass. I couldn't help but think it's terrifying..."
They climbed atop the
checkpoint and the observation deck, uttering their impressions and exclamations.
As I keep repeating, I really didn't want to show them any of this. Even if
they had no ill intentions, there was a high risk of information leaking to
malicious individuals. Somehow, we managed to keep hidden the secret passage
running beneath the corridor, the magic tactics used by Elan and Claire, and
the ultimate weapon: the water attack using the waterway.
"Still, it
doesn't add up. How did they drop the bridge? How did they drive the enemy into
a death trap? I still feel like something is missing to defeat 3,000 enemies
with 600 allies."
I pretended not to
hear that murmur.
"Kilias! Don't
demand explanations for everything. There are defense secrets, after all."
"Ah, my
apologies. The battle results were so splendid that I couldn't help
myself..."
The Margrave's
consideration was incredibly helpful. He really always saves me.
"He skillfully
utilized my investments to lead this war to victory. We must be grateful. As
expected of the wise man I had such high hopes for." The Margrave smiled,
looking satisfied.
Afterward, the group
toured the venue and the town of Teigun.
"What is that
group wearing unusual clothes? I've seen them numerous times elsewhere,"
Baron Cornell asked, pointing to a group wearing bright blue happi coats with
white stripes.
"Those are
individuals responsible for handling disputes and providing guidance. They are
mainly members of the resident self-defense force."
Yes, the happi coats
were designed with the image of the Shinsengumi's happi from the late Edo
period. Soldiers patrolling with swords would be too intimidating. These groups
of ten, except for two elite mercenaries, deliberately do not carry swords.
They only carry crossbows on their backs.
The self-defense force
rotates shifts for this duty, and multiple groups constantly patrol not only
the town but also the area inside the checkpoint. At night, they also take
turns patrolling the town and the tournament venue as night watch. Of course,
they are paid appropriate temporary wages.
The happi coats are
designed to be conspicuous so that anyone can recognize them at a glance. We
are also selling similar, though differently colored, happi coats as souvenirs
this time. For some reason, they're popular... apparently selling like
hotcakes. When I explained that they were being sold as souvenirs, the Margrave
of Hastburg's attendant immediately rushed off at his master's command.
Huh? Is the Margrave
buying souvenirs too?
The arena was built
large enough to accommodate up to 3,000 people, including a standing room. To
effectively use the space, all areas except the VIP seats and paid seats were
simply made by piling and compacting earth into steps, with bamboo laid on top
for seating. As before, viewing the competition is generally free, but this
time, from a security standpoint, areas near the VIP seats and those with good
views were designated as paid seats. Furthermore, sales for all seats near the
VIP section were strictly limited to those whose identities could be confirmed.
"What are they
doing at the road junction?" Viscount Gorman asked, pointing to the
temporary reception and security guard posts set up at the junction of the road
entering the town and the road leading to the arena (post town), and the people
lining up there.
"Over there, we
are sorting those who can enter Teigun and those who cannot. This time, there
are many distinguished guests, and considering the town's security, we are also
restricting those who can stay in accommodations within the town."
Yes, if people found
out they couldn't stay in town only after entering, unnecessary trouble would
arise. So, we were sorting them before they entered.
"At the reception
desk, we provide information and assign lodging to those who cannot enter the
town. We also hand out maps indicating where to buy winning tickets and where
restaurants are located, and we are accepting applications for tours for those
wishing to relocate to Teigun. Those without qualifications are restricted from
entering the town, but they can see inside the town by participating in a
tour."
"Hahaha, I see,
so you're recruiting settlers through this competition. As expected, you're
quite shrewd!" Viscount Gorman laughed, a comfortable smile on his face.
"What! That Lord
Gorman is..." Seeing that, the Margrave and other nobles were surprised.
Actually... I had become quite close with Viscount Gorman personally.
※
It all started when he
helped me in the previous war. Later, I visited Viscount Gorman's camp alone to
express my gratitude. During that visit, I talked a lot with Viscount Gorman.
When the topic turned to the mercenary corps, I honestly spoke about the
treatment they received in Viscount Gorman's territory. It seemed unnatural
given his army's reputation for honoring martial arts and being strong.
In response, later,
regarding the mercenary corps' treatment, Viscount Gorman visited Commander
Weiss and personally apologized.
"I heard that you
suffered great inconvenience without my knowledge. I want to apologize
again."
Apparently, not only
the mercenary corps matter but also the issues with turnips and refugee
handling—all of it had been the arbitrary decisions of his subordinate, the
rogue steward of the Gorman family, and some others. In particular, the steward
had been sent by some count's family who was acting as a guardian, so the
Viscount himself had been troubled by him.
The misgovernment and
bad rumors stemming from them, combined with Viscount Gorman's own
self-proclaimed stern face, his unapproachable personality, and awkwardness,
meant he was always alone. The ability to dismiss the steward who caused damage
to the village by ignoring the Viscount's orders during the flood was a huge
turning point for the Gorman Viscount family. My information at that time
seemed to have been a blessing to the Viscount in two ways.
During the
commendation ceremony in the Royal Capital, this Five-Territory Joint
Competition was decided, and I had a request for Viscount Gorman. I wished for
him to bring the Sound Mages he had discovered to this tournament, if possible,
and to cooperate with the operation using Sound Magic. And the Viscount, true
to his word, brought them and participated in this competition.
Honestly, my father
and the heads of the other noble families still seemed to dislike Viscount
Gorman. Viscount Gorman himself, towards them, maintained his usual
composure—his stern face and the arrogant demeanor that stemmed from his
awkwardness remained unchanged. Among them, only I was on good terms with him,
and our conversations flowed naturally.
※
Even before the event
officially began, stalls were set up everywhere, displaying a vibrancy far
surpassing previous tournaments. For this event, I issued several proclamations
to the citizens of Teigun. I requested cooperation from those with business
acumen as a business opportunity, and from others as a chance for temporary
income.
Recruitment of
temporary staff for operations
·
Anyone who is a resident can open a stall
·
Opening a stall requires an application and payment of
a site fee
·
As a special exception, prisoners can be recruited as
labor for a fee (※ subject to
administrative office review)
Therefore, those
working as operational staff, those opening stalls, and those recruiting
prisoners as laborers were all enjoying the benefits of the tournament.
Temporary recruitment centers were also set up for prisoners, and those who
wished were allowed to work for a fee. Many prisoners participated in this
temporary recruitment and experienced the festival themselves.
Thus, the competition
was bustling even before it started, surprising the visitors not only with its
defensive facilities like the checkpoint but also with the town's initiatives.
Having completed a
major task and feeling relieved, I would be thrown into a new source of trouble
starting the next day.
Why do new flags
appear when you let your guard down...?
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